The rebellious Mexican actress who met with 'El Chapo' claims the Mexican government is trying to 'destroy her'

Actress Kate del Castillo, at the center of a Mexican
money-laundering probe after she helped Hollywood star Sean Penn
interview drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán
in October, said Mexico's government wants to "destroy her,"
Univision reported over the weekend.

Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez has said that there were
"indications" the actress may have used money from Guzmán to help
finance her tequila business.

Del Castillo's tequila even got a mention in Penn's rambling
Rolling Stone piece, which was published the day after
Guzmán was apprehended.

"The flight had been just bumpy enough that each of us had taken
a few swigs off a bottle of Honor tequila, a new brand that Kate
is marketing," Pennwrote.

"I have no reason to give explanations to the press. If I don't
talk its because my lawyers told me not to because the government
wants to destroy me," the actress said in a message to Univision,
which published the comment on its website.

A publicist for del Castillo did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.

According to Penn, Guzmán began plotting Hollywood fame while
incarcerated in Altiplano prison.

"He was interested in seeing the story of his life told on
film, but would entrust its telling only to Kate (del
Castillo)," Pennwrote.

"The same lawyer again tracked her down, this time through
the Mexican equivalent of the Screen Actors Guild, and the
imprisoned drug lord and the actress began to correspond in
handwritten letters and BBM messages."